Which Supercharger?

[Randy]

I've got a 2000 Expy 4x4 w/ 5.4L engine. I tow a heavy construction trailer most of the time and also drive it for long periods on the highway without the trailer. I would like to purchase a supercharger that will give me more hp for towing here in Florida. The city I live in has several bridges that I have to travel over and that's where I feel the extra hp would help.
I've looked at the website's of several supercharger manufacturer's and cannot 'get a grip' on which one would best suit my needs. I'm not racing, just towing. Highway driving is 75 mph for extended periods, some mountain driving.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I've looked at:
Paxton
Procharger
Powerdyne
Whipple
Kenne Bell

 

[pronstar]

I think installing a Lighting blower is the best bet. OEM reliability and Ford-engineered parts.

You can get a Lightning blower used on E-Bay or the Lightning forums (nloc.com is a good one). Then you need a bunch of ancillary parts, all of which you can get here:
http://www.madenterprise.com/scparts.htm

Then you just need a tune and you are good to go. Lots of tuner have files for this setup so they can e-mail it to you, but I think a custom dyno tune is the way to go .

I know a lot of guys who have done this, and it is a great, cost-effective way to get a lot of power from your truck. You'll be right around 400 hp to the wheels, and a bit more than 400 lb-ft of torque.

If I had a 99-or-later Expy, this is the route I'd take, no question.

You may also consider gears. I've got 4.10s with street tires (285/60R18) and they are great, even with the supercharger. I know several folks who have done this, including a lot of guys with Lightnings, and they all say the same thing: great mod.

Lower gears are the second-best thing I've ever done to my truck.

 

[ELVATO]

So what's the deal with gears? How much do they cost and what exactly do they do?

Back on topic, what would you recommend for a 2003 4.6? I've only seen one company that offers a supercharger for that year/engine combo. (I think it was Paxton?)

 

[pronstar]

Gears multiply torque to the wheels.

It's like riding a mountain bike, you downshift gears so that your legs are cranking a bit faster to make it easier to pedal.

Your RPM will rise a bit at any given speed compared to what you currently have. Check your axle code and it'll tell you what your current gears are.

Here's how to do it:
http://www.fordf150.net/howto/decode.php

They really make a big difference.
I paid about $650 to regear. But you have a 4x4 so you have to do it for the front & rear, so the price is about $1200 or so, depending on the shop.

What size tires you you have?

 

[ELVATO]

I have a "U – Automatic 4R70W"

Tires are P265/70R17SL. BTW, I don't have 4x4.

 

[pronstar]

What is your axle code for the rear gears?
Should be 3.55 or 3.73, something like this...

 

[ELVATO]

It says "H6" for the axle code. Couldn't find a description for it.

 

[pronstar]

Elvato, H6 is a 3.73 Limited Slip.
It's a decent all-around ratio.

A swap to 4.10s is about a 10% change, it will be nicely noticeable. IMHO it will wake your 4.6 up a bit...certainly more than any other bolt-on.

I'll post some pics of my speedometer/tachometer at various speeds, so you can see where the revs are. They aren't as high as many people will have you believe. I run 285/60R18 tires, which are about 31.5 inches in diameter.

Lower gears makes for great performance (towing or not), significantly less gear-hunting on grades, and no noticeable MPG penalty...and I went from a 3.31 to 4.10, a relatively big jump.

A lot of Lightning guys swap from 3.73 to 4.10 gears as well.

I've yet to speak to anyone, or read any post, where MPG changed noticeably, up or down, with a gear swap. These are heavy trucks that are factory-geared for the EPA test cycle, not for how people actually drive. Hence 3.31 factory gears in my Expy with tow package, which makes no sense.

Randy, what is your axle code?

 

[03ddie]

Where can you find the axle codes and what do each mean?

 

[ELVATO]

The code can be found on a white sticker, driver's side, seen when you open that door.

Axle code is two character code found under the title "Axle."

Here's how to decipher it.

So, pronstar you're saying it would cost 650 with installation? Where could you look to find prices or brands?